UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations calls for restraint after the Houthi militia in Yemen seized a United Arab Emirates (UAE) ship, a UN spokesman said on Wednesday.

While the circumstances are unclear, the world organization follows with concern reports of the seizure, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"We reaffirm the need to respect the rights and obligations relating to maritime navigation in accordance with international law," he told a regular briefing. "We urge all concerned parties and countries in the region to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from taking any escalatory action."

The spokesman said the United Nations reiterates its call "for the Yemeni parties to engage with the special envoy of the secretary-general (Hans Grundberg of Sweden) and his mediation efforts with the aim to advance the political process to reach a comprehensive, negotiated settlement to end the conflict in the country."

The Houthi militia said they seized a UAE military ship in the Red Sea off Yemen.

"The UAE ship carries military equipment and entered the Yemeni regional waters without permission," Houthi military spokesman Yehya Sarea said in a brief statement aired by the Houthi-run al-Masirah television on Monday.

However, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi militia in Yemen said in a statement reported by the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV that the UAE-flagged vessel was attacked and seized by the Houthi militia. It said the vessel carried medical equipment. Enditem

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